Our Designers

Jane joined the business in 2002 to create the first Chocolat collection for Winter 2003. An award winning designer with success both here and internationally; Jane has won several Benson and Hedges awards, including the After Five section and the Wool Award. She represented New Zealand in a spectacular show of international designers, all chosen to celebrate the 200^th anniversary of the world’s first branded textile, “Viyella” held at The Goldsmith’s Hall in London in the late 80’s. Jane’s label “Betsy Ruff” strutted the catwalk amongst Dior, Versace and Ralph Lauren to name but a few. “…it was surreal … sitting there amongst the icons of fashion, in a great hall, dripping with gold leaf and chandeliers … I was completely overwhelmed…”

Jane’s inspiration stems from “anywhere and everywhere…” She is a graduate of Wellington Polytechnic’s School of Design, and is an avid collector of books on the arts, literature and history of fashion. Her wide knowledge and understanding of fashion’s journey is quietly shared in the collections she creates for Chocolat. Jane’s extensive career includes eight years with her own store “Betsy Ruff”, with which she was one of the first designers to recognise the fantastic potential of Ponsonby Road, in Auckland.

Jon Dyball joined the High Society Design Team as the Catalyst Designer in September 2010.

Jon comes to High Society with 20 years experience, across the clothing industry’s spectrum, from patternmaking and production through design, in both men’s and women’s wear.

Jon’s career began in menswear, where he spent eleven years mastering fine tailoring. Eventually, with a need to expand his creative abilities, Jon delved head first into a new creative dimension, entering the “wonderful world of women’s wear”!

Jon’s unique “handwriting” is playful and clever. Full of interesting elements and texture and using quality fabrications, his work fits perfectly into the High Society way of thinking.

Not to be grounded by life’s rules and regulations, Jon sees outside the square and happily explores the use of unconventional and unexpected design elements.

Jon is a very welcome addition to the HSL Design Team and his appointment has brought a freshness and highly creative skill base that will maintain HSL’s position as a frontrunner on the New Zealand fashion scene.